Colin Cowherd explains what LeBron James will make his next team the ‘worst’ in the NBA at

NBA analyst Colin Cowherd issues a concerning warning about LeBron James.

The 2026-27 NBA season will mark LeBron James’ 24th year in the league as he remains an unrestricted free agent after parting ways with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are being viewed as the most likely destination for James. With the move still not finalized, NBA analyst Colin Cowherd issued a major warning for the Cavs about James.

Colin Cowherd says adding LeBron James will make the Cleveland Cavaliers ‘slower’

Over the course of his career, James has played 11 seasons in a Cavaliers jersey. However, if the King elects to join the Cavs, this stint is expected to be very different from the last two times.

Cowherd is a firm believer in that narrative as he warned the Cavaliers about LeBron and James Harden’s partnership on the floor.

“LeBron will make you a worse defensive team,” Cowherd said. “Slowest player in the NBA last year was James Harden. The second slowest player, LeBron James. If he goes to Cleveland, they’ll be a worse team defensively.”

He added, “Will LeBron make you better in close games? Yes. But against the Knicks, the average margin of victory was 20 points. The Knicks would blow you out even with LeBron.

“You’d have decent rim protection, but LeBron will absolutely make you slower.”

The Cavaliers’ woes in the postseason in recent years have primarily been due to a lackluster defense. After all, the organization had loads of offensive power with Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

Keeping that in mind, Cowherd’s warning makes sense as a 41-year-old James cannot be expected to be the team’s primary defense throughout the regular season and the playoffs.

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